INFLUENCE OF CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN EDO STATE

ABSTRACT

This research work was designed to investigate the importance of continuous assessment in some selected secondary school and also teacher’s competency in implementing continuous assessment in Egor. To achieve the laid down objectives, the researcher carried out the investigation by designing well structured questionnaire, for 50 respondents in the area of study. The data so far generated from the study was analyzed using the simple percentage statistical analysis. The study revealed that both teachers and students recognize the impact of continuous assessment, continuous assessment have not only help to prevent examination malpractice, continuous assessment help promote good study habit and reading culture among students, help teachers given feedback and keep-assessment record of students and help diagnose students area of strength and weakness in education. It was also discovered that most teachers they mainly assess students cognitive activities at the detriment of psychomotor and effective behaviour etc recommendations were further made by the researcher based on the findings, these include among others thing the need for government to proffer solution to the problem of record keeping, all teachers should update their knowledge in measurement and evaluation, make use of continuous assessment records for decision making about each learners, teachers should assess all area of learning outcomes and finally,to be positively disposed to continuous assessment.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Continuous assessment is one of the new concepts introduced in the Nigeria educational system with the new national policy on education in short it is an interval part of the new system of education otherwise known as the 9-3-3-4 system. Assessment is an essential element in the educational process. A teacher must make some measurements of the extent to which the learning experiences of students have enabled them, achieve the stated objectives of the course of study. Ohunche on Odili (2001) defines assessment as an involving the determination for the value and work of a thing implies making decision. The changing needs and attitude of individual children call for a continuous evaluation of such needs and trials in order to enable the children understand themselves better. Their teachers to improve on their teaching methods, the parents and guidance understood the children, so that educational vocational and personal social decision can be realistically made on them. Scholars have looked at the issues of the attitude of students towards assessment in educational system and have seen that the success education will ever offer is seriously tied to the facilities relevant to it.

According to Peretomode (2007) stock of educational facilities in public school system in Nigeria is enormous even at the present state of their insufficient and inadequacy. They represent substantial financial outlay to the tax payer. Establishing new educational facilities is no longer that easy because of the current state of economic depression and constantly raising costs. Edem (2008) seeing the importance and position influence of school facilities to educational achievement of students said. It is the duty of the ministry or the board of education to make furniture’s, equipment, books and expendable materials available to schools. Their inadequacy constitutes another source of frustration and disillusion among teachers. African leaders earnestly desire good education programmes for their people, but in many cases the resources are so merger that little progress can be made. According to Inyong Abia (2002) continuous assessment are the pivot on which the wheel of teaching and learning process rotates. As cited by Inyang Abia (2004) the use of continuous assessment is the most significant aspect of influence for students effective performance. According to Bayo (2005) the availability of continuous assessment in learning process have the potency for motivating and focusing learners attention on the lesson being presented.